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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

So our trip and the Toronto International Film Festival is over. We had such a great time. I could live in Toronto. Seriously, we felt like locals after just a few days. Everyone was so nice. We saw some great films, and some rubbish (listed below) but that's the chance you take at an International Film Festival. But I would not have given up the experience for anything. Amongst the fantastic people we met and hung with regularly on our travels are regular readers and fellow bloggers Ryan McNeil, Courtney Small, Kurt Halfyard, Bob Turnbull, Matt Price and Max Covill, amongst many others.

In LA we stayed with Alex Withrow (And So It Begins), who was the best host we could have imagined. Not only did he let us into his house, but he drove us wherever we wanted. We went to Hollywood, Venice Beach, the Griffith Observatory and some of the funkiest bars and cafes in his home suburb. The weather was wonderful. Thank you Alex!

In addition to watching 49 films, I also read a pair of crime fiction novels - The Walker and Birdman - which were okay. Coming home to re-immerse myself in Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch has been welcomed, however. We have also started re-watching Entourage from the beginning. I never made it to the very end. From memory it loses the plot quite badly, but I am determined to stick it out and try and spot the sites in LA that I visited.

Favourite album at the moment: Kanye West's College Dropout and Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds, both of which we picked up on vinyl in Toronto for absurdly cheap prices.

Of course, I am now very behind what is now out in cinemas but what of it. I hope to catch The Boxtrolls, We Are the Best and Gone Girl (again) in the weeks to come. On Thursday we have The Judge booked in.

New-to-Me Films (In Order of Preference)

-------- Essential Viewing --------

Nightcrawler(Dan Gilroy, 2014) - This is such a bold and relevant film. In this exhilarating thriller we are
sided with one of this grotesque disaster-media hungry societies super
villains. This is an incredible performance by Jake Gyllenhaal. I said
he was one of the best in the business after Prisoners, and since then I
have seen this and Enemy, which separates him further from the pack. Considering the horrible things he does, the
fact that we have empathy, and respect, for this guy is extraordinary.
He's endlessly fascinating. It addresses a very prominent problem in today's media culture, but
who is to blame? The person exploiting these victims and capturing the tragedies, the network buying
the footage, or us consuming it? Very LA, it looks incredible courtesy of PTA's regular DP Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood), and ALL of
Dan Gilroy's decisions hit the mark. The music. The casting. The
ending. Following a car chase the audience at TIFF burst into applause. That is
something I have never experienced. This is a morally stressful
experience that was physically overwhelming, as only the great films achieve. IndieWire described Nightcrawler as a combo of Taxi Driver and Network.
Collateral and Drive also come to mind. Comparisons are beside the point. It is in a league of
greatness.

Foxcatcher(Bennett Miller, 2014) - Du Pont stabled the Shultz, a vulnerable victim of post-Gold obliviousness, and possessed the monetary power to use and
manipulate him as he pleased. Then he learned that he responded only to
his family-man brother Dave, a symbol of hardworking middle America. For Du Pont, who saw this as a chance to be
worshipped and viewed as a father-figure, this was a rejection he could
not accept. The complexity of the three relationships will long be bearing on my mind. Bennett Miller's best film, and Moneyball is GREAT, features amazing
performances from Tatum, Carrell and Ruffalo. Especially Ruffalo, who received little comment post-Cannes, and seems to be in the shadow of his mighty colleagues. This is a heartbreaking story of compromise at the wrath of
dynasty-inherited privilege and greed. It has been enriched with
metaphoric commentary, and artisan creativity. Everything in this film
feels like the real deal - the make up, the wrestling maneuvers
performed by the actors, the wonderful detail in the Du Pont estate at
the least. I had enormous emotional investment in this film. One of the few films I have seen that deserves award considerationand that may actually get it. Still, it may be too brooding for the voters to embrace. Ruffalo missing an Oscar for this would be a travesty.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night(Ana Lily Amirpour, 2014) - An Iranian vampire western with a romantic twist. Not something you see every day, and it is pretty special. In a small death-riddled town call Bad City, ruled by drugs and
illegal enterprises, the citizens are stalked in the night by a lonesome
female vampire. A young man, at the mercy of a drug dealer whom his
junkie father owes money, finds his luck turn through the circumstances
of her presence. This is sexy - gorgeously photographed in B+W and accompanied by a
funky soundtrack (which I hope exists somewhere) - and a remarkably
confident debut feature from Ana Lily Amirpour. It thrives on style and
atmosphere and is really fucking cool. Creepy too. Only Lovers Left Alive's shady cousin. A great year for Vampire films, this.

The Infinite Man(Hugh Sullivan, 2014) - An essential time travel film that successfully
remains smarter than its audience, offering consistent twists and
revelations, while actually making sense. This is micro-budget
filmmaking at its very best, managing to inventively fuse elements of
some of the genres great works in Primer and Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind. Average-joe Dean creates a time travel headpiece that allows him to
go back one year, to the date of his anniversary with his girlfriend
Lana, to try and make the disastrous events of that day perfect and save
the relationship. He is equipped with notes, he knows the obstacles
that will arise and he is prepared with everything he knows Lana loves.
But, when there are multiple Deans and Lanas in close proximity and
dressed identically, and with Dean blindly obsessed with controlling
Lana and the course of events, trouble ensues and be begins to battle
his alter-egos for the woman he loves. The results are hilarious,
mostly, but even a little upsetting. This is such a tight film, and Hugh Sullivan does a fantastic job at
ensuring that the potentially confusing parallel timelines operating at
once are sharply edited, extraordinarily avoiding continuity issues. THE Australian film of the year, and a future classic. Out now on limited release. Don't miss it.

Clouds of Sils Maria(Olivier Assayas, 2014) - My first Assayas...and I now want to see more. Set in the gorgeous Swiss Alps a veteran stage star Maria (Juliette
Binoche) and her assistant Valentine (Kristen Stewart) hide out as she
prepares for her latest play - the same one that made her famous as a
young woman, but the opposing 'older' role. Unable to identify with this
character, due to her own concerns about ageing and being unable to
adapt this character into a new context, she turns to Valentine for
advice on the actress taking on her old role (Chloe Grace Moretz),
challenging her to rehearse the role with her at length. Tension mounts
when Maria is disagreeable with what Valentine brings to the role. As
the material and their relationship begins to merge, this takes a
Persona-esque twist that is quite a hook. This is a very pretty and bonkers look at performance as role
(Stewart's role is blurred every which way), textual interpretation
influenced by age (and how measures of age in the business have changed)
and 21st Century 'celebrity', and the opposition of personal privacy
vs. public openness. And very meta. All three women excel. Binoche
obviously, but the film, forgivably, drops the ball in the extended
Stewart-free epilogue (my only real criticism). She brings terrific
energy to film. The little details have all been carefully calculated (the fade-outs
are perfectly timed) and that night drive may haunt my dreams. This is a
film rich in ideas and subtexts. It is both funny and eerie, and most
of the second half is food for puzzling over.

Girlhood(Celine Sciamma, 2014) - Celine Sciamma is the real deal. My goodness. Girlhood is better than Boyhood. How's that for controversy. I don't know where to begin with this film, but it manages to be,
extraordinarily, explosive and quietly intimate at the same time. The best use of music (Rihanna's Diamonds!) of any film at TIFF, and wonderfully performed by its non-pro cast. The film's finale is so brave, too.

While We're Young(Noah Baumbach, 2014) - Well, Noah Baumbach still hasn't made a bad film and this may become
my favourite. And I am a big fan of the mostly despised Greenberg. Whatever. Stiller sure is at his best in this
partnership, but Naomi Watts and Adam Driver (each in multiple films at
this year's TIFF) are also excellent. This is such a funny and relatable study of the differences between
Gen X and Y - a couple approaching middle age who become alienated from
their baby-obsessed friends, and have long wasted time using their
stilted professional ventures as excuses to not..live, find their sense of youth
invigorated when they meet a carefree 20-something hipster couple with a
whole different outlook on life. The evolution of documentary filmmaking (a pursuit of both Stiller
and Driver's characters) is an avenue that doesn't quite work as
successfully as the interweaving relationships and the satire of generations, but
this is thoroughly enjoyable throughout.

Beyond the Lights(Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2014) - This beautiful and inspiring rom-drama deals with the mental strain
of celebrity superficiality and the process of re-learning and loving a
true self that has long been forcibly suppressed by a climate that
demands a mechanized product, not a free-willed creative individual. It also deals with the over-sexualization of female pop stars in a
world craving flesh, and how Noni, having long been stripped of her
identity and driven to suicide, is reinvigorated not by a 'man', but
someone who acknowledges that she is suffocating and needs some help. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, following her breakout performance in the lovely
period drama, Belle, is stunningly convincing in the role. She's going
to be huge. Nate Parker also brings a real generosity to his character.
Their chemistry is excellent. This is a powerful and uplifting film that never becomes too soppy,
and while clearly a female-centric story, it has universal appeal in
that Parker's character is also on his way down a path imposed on him by
his father, and he must consider what he really wants. Several years in the making, this is a very accomplished film from
writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love and Basketball). I hope it
is released theatrically in Australia. It would be a real shame not to
receive the exposure it deserves.

It Follows (David Robert Mitchell, 2014)- Loved the Goblin-influenced score (think TENEBRE-esque, oh yeah) and there is some inventive direction. A creepy ghost-stalker thriller with a sexual-transmission-anxiety
angle. Interesting. There are some lazy jump scares, and an effects-heavy sequence
that went a tad amiss, but this is a stressful film. The simplicity of
the threat works in it's favour, and the performances from the youngsters
are all pretty good. The horror film of the year, at least from what I have seen. Got pipped by The Babadook at Fantastic Fest, which is my #2.

St Vincent(Theodor Melfi, 2014)- Murray and co. (Lieberher, Watts and O'Dowd are especially great) carry
this charming unlikely hero-next-door tale that gradually reveals the
layers beneath Murray's cantankerous war vet-turned-babysitter, with
mirth and sorrow aplenty. It is a poignant celebration of sacrifice and
features some great visual comedy.

Leviathan (Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2014) - Isolated in a desolate coastal boneyard, an aging patriarch battles a
corrupt official seeking to purchase the land his home stands upon and
then finds his cherished relationships begin to crumble around him as
a result. Marvelously constructed and photographed, this is a gut-wrenching
story of a proud everyman whose oppression grows increasingly closer,
eventually enveloping everything he cares for and has stakes in. So. Much. Vodka.

Tales of the Grim Sleeper(Nick Broomfield, 2014) - I feared for the safety of documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield (and
his son, the DP) in this distressing ground level, police-skirting
guerrilla investigation into a notorious South LA serial killer, who had
been plaguing the town for 25 years. It is quite an extraordinary film
as Broomfield interviews many local residents, from family members and
longtime acquaintances of the man eventually arrested as well as near victims,
drawing enough evidence to suggest the perp is on trial, while indicting
the LAPD for their class and race prejudiced treatment of the case. Kudos.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Gone Girl - Directed by David Fincher and based upon the global bestseller by
Gillian Flynn - unearths the secrets at the heart of a modern marriage.
On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben
Affleck) reports that his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone
missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy,
Nick's portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies,
deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking the same dark
question:
Did Nick Dunne kill his wife?

Obvious Child - For aspiring comedian Donna Stern, everyday life as a female
twenty-something provides ample material for her incredibly relatable
brand of humor. But when Donna gets dumped, loses her job, and finds herself
pregnant just in time for Valentine's Day, she has to navigate the murky
waters of independent adulthood for the first time. As she grapples
with an uncertain
financial future, an
unwanted pregnancy, and a surprising new suitor, Donna begins to
discover that the most terrifying thing about adulthood isn't facing it
all on her own. It's allowing herself to accept the support and love of
others. And be truly vulnerable.

Annabelle - Before The Conjuring, there was Annabelle. A prequel to The Conjuring, which was pretty greatbut features none of the cast or crew of that film.

Advanced Style - Street style photographer Ari Seth Cohen and director Lina Plioplyte
dive into the personal lives of New York City's most fashionable women
over 60. In an industry obsessed with youth, these older women dispel
conventional ideas about beauty and aging and prove that with age comes
grace, confidence, boldness, flair and new, unimagined opportunities for
fame and fortune.

Weekly recommendation: Umm..Gone Girl. New David Fincher, baby (*I've been watching too much Entourage*). Also, I have heard good things about Obvious Child from MIFF, so it is great to see it out on limited release.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

- I have already seen Two Days, One Night (November 6), Winter Sleep (November 13) Nightcrawler (November 27), and Foxcatcher (December 18)at the Sydney and Toronto International Film Festivals,which would have made it to this list had I not seen them already.

- I have also left off Gone Girl (October 2), undoubtedly anticipated, because I'm seeing it next week.

Force Majeure (Ruben Ostlund) - A Swedish family travels to the French Alps to enjoy a few days of
skiing. The sun is shining and the slopes are spectacular but, during a
lunch at a mountainside restaurant, an avalanche turns everything upside
down. With diners fleeing in all directions, mother Ebba calls for her
husband Tomas as she tries to protect their children. Tomas, meanwhile,
is running for his life... The anticipated disaster failed to occur, and
yet the family's world has been shaken to its core, a question mark
hanging over their father in particular. Tomas and Ebba's marriage now
hangs in the balance as Tomas struggles desperately to reclaim his role
as family patriarch. Plenty of Oscar buzz, and near-unanimous praise from friends who have seen it at MIFF and TIFF. October 16

Whiplash(Damien Chazelle) - Andrew Neyman is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his
pursuit to rise to the top of his elite east coast music conservatory.
Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day
and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher, an instructor
equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods,
leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and
transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the
young
man's life. Andrew's
passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his
ruthless teacher continues to push him to the brink of both his
ability-and his sanity. Winner of both the Audience and Grand Jury award at the Sundance Film Festival, and similar rousing acclaim at MIFF and TIFF, with praise especially for Miles Teller and J. K Simmons who I like a great deal. October 23

Interstellar(Christopher Nolan) - A group of explorers make use of a newly-discovered wormhole to
surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast
distances involved in an interstellar voyage. I don't worship Nolan as many many other people do, but Inception remains one of the best blockbusters of the last five years, and his films are always incredible experiences in the cinema. They just don't hold up that well. On board this time is man of the moment Matthew McConaughey and new DP Hoyte Van Hoytema (Her, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) so that's enticing enough for me. November 6

Inherent Vice(Paul Thomas Anderson) - Private Investigator Larry 'Doc' Sportello investigates the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend in Los Angeles. This is the labyrinthine, double-crossing, drug-hazed plot at its simplest. It is the first feature film adapted from the work of Thomas Pynchon, and who better to direct the richly textured, Venice Beach-set noir than Paul Thomas Anderson. He has assembled a team of regulars (DP Robert Elswit, composer Johnny Greenwood and editor Leslie Jones) and a crack cast including Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston, Reese Witherspoon and Benicio Del Toro. It is going to be good, who are we kidding, but just how good? January 8

Birdman (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu) - Or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance. A black comedy that tells the
story of an actor (Michael Keaton) - famous for portraying an iconic
superhero - as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days
leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover
his family, his career, and himself. Plenty has already been said about Inarritu's latest creative feat - he's the guy responsible for Amores Perros, Babel and Biutiful - but this seems to feature a career-defining performance from Keaton and more wonderful work from Emmanuel Lubezki. January 15

Blackhat(Michael Mann) - After a case of high-level computer hacking arises, American and Chines military forces work together to stop it. I am in for Mann, pretty much. Currently January 15, but likely to change.

Monday, September 22, 2014

New in cinemas this week: The Equalizer, Life of Crime, The Skeleton Twins, The Little Death, In Bloom and Land of the Bears.

The Equalizer - Denzel Washington plays McCall, a man who believes he has put his
mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new,
quiet life. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young
girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can't
stand idly by. Armed with hidden skills that allow
him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless,
McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his
desire for justice
reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against
them, and if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Olympus Has Fallen).

Life of Crime - Based on Elmore Leonard's novel "The Switch," Life of Crime is a dark
caper comedy starring Jennifer Aniston, John Hawkes, Yasiin Bey, Will
Forte, Mark Boone Junior, Isla Fisher and Tim Robbins. The wife
(Anniston) of a corrupt real estate developer (Robbins) is
kidnapped by two common criminals (Bey and Hawkes), who
intend to extort him with inside information about his crooked business
and off-shore accounts. But the husband decides he'd actually rather not
pay the
ransom to get back his
wife, setting off an unbelievable sequence of double crosses and plot
twists.

The Skeleton Twins - When estranged twins Maggie (Kristen Wiig) and Milo (Bill Hader) feel
they're at the end of their ropes, an unexpected reunion forces them to
confront why their lives went so wrong. As the twins reconnect, they
realize the key to fixing their lives may just lie in repairing their
relationship. ★★★1/2

The Little Death - An original comedy about sex, love, relationships and taboo. In a multi-story narrative, we peer behind the closed doors of a seemingly normal
suburban street - including a woman with a dangerous fantasy and her partners
who struggle to please her, and a man who begins an affair with his own wife
without her knowing anything about it.

In Bloom - Early nineties, in Tbilisi, the capital of the newly independent Georgia
after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The country is facing violence,
war on the Black Sea coast (Abkhazia) and vigilante justice that plague
society. But for Eka and Natia, fourteen-year-old inseparable friends,
life just unfolds: in the street, at school, with friends or elder
sisters who are already dealing with men's dominance, early marriage and
disillusioned love. For these two girls in bloom life just goes on.

The Land of the Bears - Provides an unforgettable 3D vision of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula , a region famous for its rich and dynamic population of brown bears. Offering an exclusive look into the lives of these amazing beasts, we follow several bears, each at a unique phase in their lives. Cubs learning from their mothers; young males making their own way; seasoned veterans marking out the best salmon territory – all looking to stock up in time for hibernation.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Over at An Online Universe I explain why Possession (Andrzej Zulawski, 1981) is one of my Top 20 horror films of all time.

Zulawski’s domestic melodrama come psychological thriller
come gruesome creature horror is one of the most chaotic and deranged
films I have ever experienced. It is a ghastly film that is sure to
leave an imprint on anyone who survives it. But, being pretty
inaccessible, it isn’t a film you hear about too often.